Extension car-step.



S. 1. SWANSON.

EXTENSION CAR STEP.

APPLICATION FILED 6.31.1914.

Patented May 11; 1915.

FIG. 5.

Wit name THE NORRIS PETERS co. PHOTc-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. c,

, ing the numeral 5 STEPHEN J. SWANSON, 0F BIVERTON, WYOMING.

EXTENSION GAR-STEP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May-11, 1915.

Application filed. August 31, 1914. Serial No. 859,504.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN J. SWAN- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Riverton, in the county of Fremont, State ofWyoming, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ExtensionCar-Steps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to car steps, particularly to extension steps,and has for its object the provision of one or more auxiliary stepsassociated with and adapted to form a continuation of the ordinary stepsprovided upon street or railway cars and which may be folded upon theordinary steps when not in use.

An important object is the provision of a device of this character whichwill be extremely simple and inexpensive in manufacture, eflicient anddurable in service, easily installed and simply operated.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionconsists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a carstep having my extension step associated therewith and in its foldedposition. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal. sectional view therethrough. Fig. 3is a similar view showing the extension step swung downwardlypreparatory to being secured in its extended position, and Fig. 4 is asimilar view showing the extension step secured in its extended oroperative position.

Referring more particularly to the drawdesignates a flight of ordinarycar steps secured between sides 6.

My novel extension step comprises upper and lower horizontal portions 7and 8 connected by a vertical portion 9, one extension step only beingthus formed although any desired number may be made. The rear edge ofthe upper horizontal portion 7 is provided at its ends with trunnions 10for a purpose to be described.

Secured upon the lower end of each of the sides 6 are brackets 11 whichcomprise side portions 12 engaging the outer sides of the sides 6 andhorizontal inwardly extending portions 13 spaced from the bottom of thelowermost step 5. The front ends of the brackets 11 are curved upwardlyand are secured upon the forward edges of the sides 6, the sides 6 beingcurved and 00- operating with the upwardly extending portions 14 of thebrackets to form guide ways 15.

Then my device is in its inoperative position, the trunnions 10 aredisposed within the upper portions of the guide ways 15, the horizontalportion 7 is disposed flat upon the lower step 5, the horizontal portion8 is disposed fiat upon the second step 5 and the vertical portion 9 isdisposed against the riser connecting the two lowermost steps 5. A.suitable handle 16 is preferably provided upon the portion 9 of theextension step to facilitate moving the step into its operativeposition.

My extension step being in its folded position, as shown in Figs. 1 and2, in order to extend it for use, it is merely necessary to grasp thehandle 16 and swing the extension step outwardly and downwardly into theposition shown in Fig. 3, the trunnions 10 being then disposed withinthe lower ends of the guide ways 15. The extension step is then shovedrearwardly so that the trunnions 10 and the horizontal portions 11 willbe disposed between the retaining portions 13 of the brackets 11, andthe bottom of the lowermost step 5. The extension step will then be heldsecurely in place ready for use.

In order to retain the step in its folded position, it is merelynecessary to grasp the extension step and pull it forward from under thestep 5 until the trunnions 10 are disposed in the guide way 15. The stepis then moved upwardly until the trunnions are disposed within the upperportions of the guide ways 15, after which it is merely necessary tofold the step upwardly, whereupon it will be disposed upon the step 5 aspreviously described.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawing it will beapparent that I have thus provided a simple and novel auxiliary step forrailway trains, street cars and the like, which may be readily extendedfor use and held rigidly in place while in such position, and which maybe quickly folded upon the regular steps and be out of the way.

It will be readily understood that I reserve the right to make variouschanges in the form, construction and arrangement of parts withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or limiting the scope of thesubjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

The combination with a flight of car steps, of an extension stepcomprising horizontal portions connected by a vertical portion,trunnions at the ends of the rear edge of the uppermost horizontalportion, and brackets secured upon the flight of steps and spaced fromthe lower end of the front Copies of this patent may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressing the portion of the sides of the flight ofsteps forming guide ways journally receiving said trunnions, and saidbrackets having inwardly extending flanges spaced below the bottom ofthe lowermost one of the flight of steps and slidably receiving saidtrunnions.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses.

STEPHEN J. SWANSON. lVitnesses:

M. J. MARTIN, W. F. BRENIMAN.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0'.

